Documenting Your Disaster SAA Annual Meeting Public Libraries Archives & Special Collections Christine Wiseman Aug. 3, 2016

Phases of Emergency Management 2 Response Preparedness Recovery Mitigation

Mitigation Phase Measures that eliminate, prevent (or at least reduce) the probability of loss during an emergency.

Mitigation Activities Identify and document potential risks to your collections/records Assess prevention and protection needs Put procedures in place to minimize those risks Document emergency history  Describe emergency, include date, location, number of items affected, recovery procedures, resources used.  Evaluate response

Risk Evaluation and Planning Site Questionnaire Risk Prioritization Worksheet

Preparedness Phase A continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response. --DHS/FEMA

Preparedness Activities Determine collection priorities for recovery  Special collections, local histories Document priority locations and plan for evacuation Review insurance coverage, know limitations and requirements for filing a claim Review FEMA guidelines for filing for disaster assistance

Response Phase Immediate steps taken to protect life, property, or the environment after a disaster occurs.

Response Activities Obtain clearance to enter site Initial damage assessment Gather necessary personnel Procure necessary supplies Stabilize environment Eliminate hazards.

Damage Assessment Before you move anything Get initial sense of size/scope assessment of damaged area Observe types of objects damaged Photo and written documentation Photograph or video damage

Damage Assessment Form Heritage Preservation. Field Guide to Emergency Response. Washington, DC: 2006

Damage Assessment Form

Recovery Phase The actions required to bring things back to normal to the extent possible including stabilization and salvage of damaged items.

Triage, Sorting, Packout Prioritize according to degree of wetness, fragility of material, type of damage, and pre-determined essential records Keep detailed written records to track dispersal of materials.

Keys to Good Documentation Standardize information captured Use combination of written and photographic or video Develop forms, spreadsheets, databases Use technology when possible  Laptops, Phones, Tablets, Apps

Protect Yourself  Hard hat  Gloves- leather, nitrile, latex  NIOSH compliant respirators  N95 or better  Coveralls  Safety glasses, goggles  Water proof, steel-toed boots  First aid supplies  Hand sanitizer